Matt Burgess

The 2nd Annual Between Shake and Bake Chili Cookoff
Between Shakerley and Bakewell in the Village at Tributary
October 11, 2008 from 4-10pm


Over 200 people attended the 2nd annual chili cookoff in the alley between Shakerley and Bakewell in the Village at Tributary. From 4-10pm tasters identified the best chilies and annointed the winner with the coveted Shake and Bake Trophy, which will be on loan until the 3rd annual cookoff.

The original Evite: http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=EOUMODBLWCUMWQEUCLJJ&li=iq&src=email

Results Without Authority: Controlling a Project When the Team Doesn't Report to You

Tom Kendrick's book on project management was worth of 14 green Post-It flags bearing references to valuable information.  Results Without Authority is an excellently written book and will serve most anyone as a practical reference for project managers at any level, especially those with a particular title.

Kendrick has compiled 10 chapters a couple appendices of information centered around the concept of controlling a project from start to finish. The first part of the book focuses on the types of control being process, influence and metrics. The second section starting with Chapter 5 goes into the workflow of a project starting with project initiation and ending with project closure touching building control, maintaining control and monitoring control along the way.

Results Without Authority is an excellent book that I recommend. It is written extremely well and presents a great volume of work on a topic that involves most of us.

How To Do It Yourself: Replace Spark Plugs on 2002 Honda Civic LX


Step 1: Using a flathead screwdriver loosen the two plastic fasteners holding the engine nameplate.


Step 2: Using a wrench loosen the spark plug caps.


Step 3: The caps are attached to long tubes.  Jiggle each cap loose from the engine block, then pull an inch or two out so that the electrical connector can be detached. To detach the electrical connector, press the tab on the righthand side so the connector releases. After disconnecting, pull the entire tube from the engine block. Repeat these steps for all cylinders.


Step 4: Remove the spark plugs by deploying a spark plug socket into the empty tubes. It may take some thrust at first, then many turns with the ratchet before the spark plug is loose.  Be sure your socket is magnetic, so the plug attaches itself to the socket for removal from the cylinder.  Repeat these steps for all cylinders.


Step 5: Using the same socket and ratchet set, install the new spark plugs. Be sure to apply plenty of pressure, so the plugs are tightly secured in the engine.  Repeat these steps for all cylinders.

Step 6:  Repeat steps 1-3 in reverse order to reassemble the engine.

Congratulations you've just saved yourself a lot of money in a short period of time!